Kent Ninomiya TV - Articles - Zimbio

Since when? - Kent Ninomiya

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:53:04 -0700

Since when does something someone else says automatically mean you endorse it? Since when do you have to agree with everything an authority figure believes in order to respect him? Since when does a stupid statement another person makes reflect on you?

All of us have friends and relatives who have beliefs different than our own. Think of all the elders, teachers, preachers, and role models you know. Do you agree with each and every thing that they all say? Of course not, but that doesn't mean they aren't important influences in your life.

Indeed, that is what we are supposed to do in life. We are influenced by others. We adopt beliefs we agree with and reject those we oppose. So why is Barack Obama being blamed for Reverend Jerimiah Wright's inflamatory statements? If you listen to someone making anti-American statements does that make you anti-American? Of course not. Obama's statement that he could no more disown his long time pastor than he could his racist grandmother is reasonable. Most of us can relate to that.

That's what makes Hillary Clinton's comments all the more disturbing. After staying out of the fray for a week enjoying the heat focused on Obama, Clinton decides to chime in on Rev. Wright. Could it be because she was caught exhaggerating the danger she faced during a visit to Bosnia? Clinton now says she would have disowned Wright. It guaranteed the issue would stay in the news another day and turn the focus back on Obama.

As strange as it might sound, Clinton is playing the race card. Obama enjoys wide support among white voters who see him as an unthreatning black man. The Rev Wright issue plants seeds of doubt in the minds of many white voters. Could Obama really be a radical black activist in politically correct clothing? Clinton would love for voters to think so.

I am disillusioned with the Clintons. I bring Bill into the equation because he is on TV every day as the blunt instrument of Hillary's campaign. The two are politically entwined and of like mind. That's a fact on the record, not my opinion. Throughout the Bill Clinton presidency they were outspoken advocates for equal rights. I remember doing a story about Bill being named the first "black" president for his tireless work for the African American community. However POWER seems to be a more tempting motivation for the Clintons. They are proving they are willing to sacrifice some of their core values just to get elected. Not only are they standing by while a black man is unfairly maligned, they are actively exploiting latent racist fears among white voters for their political advantage.

If Hillary Clinton suggests that Obama should be held accountable for Reverend Wright's comments then she should be held accountable for Geraldine Ferraro's comments. To suggest that Obama has it easy as a candidate because he's a black man is the height of idiocy. Since when do black men get anything easy in our society? If it was true, then we should have had lots of black male presidents by now. You can't have it both ways Hillary. Politics is a nasty game with few rules, but going to the racial game when you're a woman is a new low. It plays prejudices off of prejudices. A true advocate for civil rights speaks out against bias in all forms at all times. There is no free pass for presidential elections.

Kent Ninomiya

Powerful Words - Kent Ninomiya

Wed, 9 Jan 2008 11:42:55 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Should someone lose their job and career for saying the wrong thing? Is it right that years of unblemished service be wiped out by a single off hand comment? The answer is... it depends. Last Friday, Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman said young pro golfers trying to catch up to Tiger Woods should "lynch him in a back alley." Naturally this comment sparked outrage since Tiger Woods is part African American. The anger further intensified as Tilghman was allowed to appear on the air all day Saturday as if nothing happened. She issued an on-air apology Sunday and said he apologized directly to Tiger Woods, however she remained on the air that day. The Golf Channel issued a statement saying "we regret if any viewers were offended by Kelly's choice of words."
Tiger Woods is apparently taking the high road and not making an issue out of it. Woods' agent is quotes as saying "It is a complete non-issue. Kelly and Tiger are friends. It might have been a poor choice of words, but there was absolutely no ill intent whatsoever."

It is entirely reasonable to assume that Tilghman did not mean to offend anyone and is not a racist. It was most likely a slip of the tongue and she did not realize the context of the word "lynch" when she said it. So then, what should be her "punishment" if anything? The Golf Channel is obviously concentrating on intent. Since she has no ill will then it's a simple matter of apologizing. The fact that their viewer base is primarily white and not overall offended by her remark anyway also limits their motivation to dole out any punishment. To some this makes the Golf Channel seem apathetic and racist. Other groups out there are horribly offended and want Tilghman's head. It doesn't matter to them that Woods himself says he's not offended and is willing to drop the matter. They want to make an example out of Tilghman as if punishing her will stop others from making slips of the tongue in the future.

I have worked in television for more than 20 years now. Many comments have passed my lips that came out differently than I intended them. When you talk for a living on live television you sometimes say stupid and inadvertently offensive things without realizing it. Is that a punishable offense? One time in San Francisco I was chatting on air with my co anchor about a man who found several stolen Oscar statues in a trash dumpster. His reward for returning them was an invitation to the Academy Awards ceremony in the next day or two. I commented that I hoped he had time to find something nice to wear since the Academy Awards are all about what people are wearing. The man happened to be African American. One viewer was greatly offended by my comment and wrote a letter accusing me of being a blatant racist. He said I claimed African Americans are too poor and stupid to dress themselves. I have quite honestly never had that thought in my life and was not thinking about the man's race at all when making the comment. I was talking about clothes. Despite this the viewer was irate. I personally expressed my regret to the viewer if my comments offended him and explained that I did not mean what he believed I did. It did not satisfy him and he continued to be angry and convinced I was a racist. Nothing I could say or do would satisfy him. He just wanted to be offended.

I have also been on the other side of misspoken words. I was hired to be a primary anchor at a television station in Minneapolis and partnered with an African American woman. The general manager who hired me was a visionary. He was willing to create an all minority main anchor team in an overwhelmingly white market. When asked about this, he said when it comes to anchors it didn't matter the color of their skin or the "slant" of their eyes. Columnists and Asian American groups around the country took it upon themselves to be offended by the "slant" comment. Some called for the general manager's firing. They didn't bother to ask me if I was offended. I wasn't. I knew this man to be honorable and brave. He took a huge risk hiring me and was in no way a racist. His words came out wrong. That's all. The story diminished what should have been a hugely positive story about the landmark all minority anchor team in Minnesota. Those who were so offended missed an opportunity to focus on a positive accomplishment by being petty and negative.

The bottom line here is that words are powerful, but they're just words. A sum of a person's character and accomplishments can not be reduced to a single inadvertent comment no matter what it is. If there's a pattern of offensive behavior or words, that's different. If it's a single off hand statement then it should be judged in the context under which it is said. Making a big deal about an innocent statement harms the movement for equality. If the mainstream sees minorities as over sensitive and unreasonable then they will ignore legitimate complaints. Likewise, the mainstream needs to understand that offensive comments do harm us all and use these incidents as opportunities to focus on removing them from our lexicon. There is work to do on both sides. Kent Ninomiya

Baseball's Unlikely Champion - Kent Ninomiya

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:14:24 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - The media circus surrounding Roger Clemens' congressional testimony isn't shedding much light on who is lying and who is telling the truth. However, it is exposing the crystal clear hypocricy of baseball. The surprising champion of truth in all this may end up ironically being Jose Canseco. Canseco cashed in on confessing his steroid use. He wasn't going to the hall of fame anyway so he might as well make some money off the scandal. While Canseco delighted in pointing his steroid inflated finger at big star after bigger star, he is coming to the defense of Clemens. Canseco insists Clemens was not at a 1998 party he hosted. Clemens' accuser, Brian McNamee says Clemens was there. Canseco calls McNamee a "dirty liar." Why would Canseco, a man who made a second career out of outing fellow MLB players, publically defend Clemens? On the other hand, why would Clemens' long time friend and training partner Andy Pettitte implicate Clemens? It's a huge mess getting bigger because Congress decided to sweep in with a holyer than thou condemnation. Jealous politicians, who I suspect once had fantacies about being a sports star like Clemens, take delight in tearing down this icon. It's the ultimate in player hating. I don't know if Clemens is lying or McNamee is lying. They may both be lying. The one thing that's certain is that steroid use in baseball was commonplace and condoned by MLB and lawmakers for decades. The joke about spring training is that it's a time to figure out the proper dosage. Lots of players took steroids and the league knew about it. Saying they're cleaning it up now is hypocritical. Remember, baseball was in big trouble after the 1994 strike. Fans were slow to return. The homerun contest of Mark McGwire and Sama Sosa, career homerun record of Barry Bonds and pitching heroics of Roger Clemens brought the fans back. Baseball now enjoys unprecidented prosperity thanks to these athletes. Now that the league is lining its pockets with the exploits, they are wagging their collective finger at the guys who did it for them. The true villians in all this are the owners and league officials who allowed it to happen. If they truely wanted performing enhancing drugs out of baseball they could have taken steps decades ago. They didn't. Looking the other way was paramount to condoning it. They do not have the right to act outraged now. Kent Ninomiya

Campaign Trail "Erupts?" - Kent Ninomiya

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:14:13 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - The Daily Show is always brilliant. Tonight they were especially inspired. They notched up their commentary on media responsibility showing anchor after anchor crowing on and on about outbursts and meltdowns on the presidential campaign trail. The anchors suggested Bill Clinton and Mitt Romney "lost it" on reporters. Jon Stewart then, in a way only he could, showed what really happened. Both men were calm and rational. Both discussed their point of views in a controlled manner. The Daily Show called the news industry on their tendency to exaggerate. It was funny and it made us look foolish. No wonder no one believes us anymore when we say the sky is falling. "Chicken Little" should be required reading in J-school. Being a journalist is a tough job. We are supposed to make news interesting as well as informative. This is especially challenging when the news really isn't very interesting. The problem is when we go too far and make story into something it is not. When we do that we lose the public trust. Thank you Jon Stewart for reminding us to keep it real. Kent Ninomiya

Heath Ledger Dead - Kent Ninomiya

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:40:21 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Add Heath Ledger to the list of young Hollywood stars who died too young. His mysterious end at the age of 28 in a New York apartment, naked with a bottle of sleeping pills nearby, has all the ingredients of a posthumous legend in the making. Like James Dean and Marilyn Monroe before him, an early tragic death of an up and coming star has a way of immortalizing and exaggerating a personality, talent and accomplishments. It is unclear how Ledger died, but whatever the eventual explanation, it will be doubted and conspiracies suggested. Celebrities are bigger than life for the masses. When they die tragically we tend to claim a piece of them for ourselves. This way we can feel the loss as if they were acting a role for us. Never mind that we may not have noticed the deceased much when they were alive. Their passing forces us to reflect on what they were and ponder what will never be. That imagination usually surpasses the reality.

I remember covering the death of Chris Farley in Chicago in 1997. He was found dead in his apartment by his brother. Farley was 33. I traced his steps the night of his death and spoke to several people who spent time with him. They told me he seemed a bit preoccupied and drank alone in a number of bars and clubs. The coroner later said a drug overdose killed him. It was a tragic story. Despite this I remember many people, fans and commentators alike, trying to turn his death into something noble. I actually heard one person say "at least he died doing what he loved." I doubt very much that would be the reaction if Farley wasn't a celebrity.

We shouldn't forget that celebrities are people like all of us. They have problems and demons plus the added burden of dealing with them under public scrutiny. Whatever the cause or reason for Heath Ledger's demise, let's not make it into something it's not.

Heath Ledger recently wrapped up shooting his role as the Joker on the "Dark Night" Batman sequel. It will be his swan song and will be promoted as such when it is released.
Kent Ninomiya

Charlton Heston - Kent Ninomiya

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 14:51:13 -0700

The world says goodbye to one of the few true legends of the silver screen. Charlton Heston was far more than a movie star. In the era of big epic films, Heston was an even bigger epic presence. He commanded the screen and your attention through the sheer power of his acting. Thousands upon thousands of extras could be buzzing around a scene but it was Heston who everyone zeroed in on. He was that kind of man. I had the privilege of meeting Charlton Heston in December 1995. The Northwestern alumnus appeared at events cheering on his team for the Rose Bowl. Although visibly pained by arthritis in his knee, Heston signed every autograph and posed for every picture he was asked for. He was still remarkably tall, chiseled, and commanding in his old age. The crowd behaved like Moses himself had just appeared before them. Of all Heston's magnificent roles, I'd have to say my favorite was his cameo in Wayne's World. I know most will scorn me for this, but let me make my case. Here we have a living legend willing to use himself as a fantastic punch line. When Mike Meyers stopped the movie to ask for a better actor for the gas station attendant, they brought in Charlton Heston to deliver a few lines. That promptly brought Wayne to tears. Talk about a better actor! They don't make movies anymore like the ones Charlton Heston used to do. They don't make movie stars like Charlton Heston anymore either. - Kent Ninomiya

Genetics and the Remote Control - Kent Ninomiya

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:41:02 -0700

If there was ever any doubt that there's a link between genetics and the remote control... I have the proof. It's a universally known fact that men need to control the remote. It's programmed into their DNA. When man first stood upright he headed straight for the couch to sit on his ass and use his newly opposable thumb to channel surf. Various heretics out there might cluelessly claim this is a cultural behavior. Silly them. Today I watched my just past kindergarten son walk into a room where females were watching television, commandeer the remote control, and proceed to flip through the channels until he found a program with crashing cars. When his sister tried to wrestle the remote from him, my son exerted his dominance with the veracity of an alpha dog guarding a rib eye. Once the remote is in his grasp, it's his. I was never so proud of my boy. It's not just about the program on TV either. He will change the channel if he's told to, but he wont give up the remote. The clings to it like a third world dictator clings to power. Even before he could read he knew how to operate every button on the remote. He even managed to program in his favorite channels. He taught himself to do that. If it wasn't programmed into his DNA, then how else can it be explained? *** Kent Ninomiya ***

Broadcaster Witch Hunt - Kent Ninomiya

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:19:29 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Suspending TV talent for off hand remarks seems to be in vogue these days. Now it's ESPN's Dana Jacobson who is on the hot seat. The co-host of "First Take" on ESPN2 is reportedly serving a one-week suspension for comments made at a January 11 roast of ESPN Radio personalities Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic. Jacobsen is said to have made vulgar comments about Notre Dame as a joke. Jacobson is a Michigan graduate who often kids Notre Dame alumnus Golic about the rivalry between the schools. Apparently it went too far. Jacobson reportedly made a number of apologies the next day to Greenberg and Golic, and issued a statement saying, "I am sorry. My remarks about Notre Dame were foolish and insensitive. I respect all religions and did not mean anything derogatory by my poorly chosen words. I also deeply regret the embarrassment I've caused ESPN and Mike and Mike." The apology wasn't good enough for ESPN.

The question I have is: would Jacobson have been suspended if the Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman had not been disciplined for her comments about Tiger Woods recently. Then Golfweek ran a cover of a noose to exploit the controversy. Editor Dave Seanor got fired for approving it. It seems to be a feeding frenzy on TV talent.

I watch Dana Jacobson on a regular basis. She is a classy professional who presents herself well while doing hours of live television involving contentious debate. She was making jokes at a roast. Did she go to far? Maybe, but come on, it was a roast. A McCarthy style witch hunt is brewing in the broadcast industry where everyone is hypersensitive about what they say and intent is determined by public opinion days after the fact. We need to be careful not to lose our freedoms of expression and press by pandering to "pile on" outrage. They are just words. Let's not make them about something they're not. Kent Ninomiya

Clemens fights for his name - Kent Ninomiya

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:25:24 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - As Roger Clemens awaits his February 13th meeting with U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, he ponders the seemingly impossible task of clearing his name. The seven time Cy Young Award winner and, until recently, shoe in for the Hall of Fame, was named in the Mitchell Report as a user of steroids. The apparent source of the allegation is a sole trainer who claim he injected Clemens years ago. Clemens vehemently denies the allegation. He is doing what he can to fight it and the public perception that followed. He released statements, appeared on 60 Minutes, and filed a lawsuit against his accuser. Clemens also plans to testify before congress. He is doing more to clear his name than any other athlete who has been in this situation. If Clemens is guilty and there is convincing proof out there then he is in big trouble. Doing steroids is bad enough. Lying about it under oath will land you in prison. Just ask Marion Jones. However, if Clemens is not guilty then he is doing quite literally all he can. He is fortunate to have the money and resources to fight allegations in a way few others can. He will, no doubt, spend millions in his attempt to save his reputation. It will be worth the expense if he is able to turn around public perception and save his legacy. By all accounts it is a long shot. It is more unlikely than a 45 year old who can still throw a baseball like Clemens. He seems to realize this. "How do you prove a negative?" Clemens asked rhetorically at his news conference. "How do you do it?" His voice dripped with anger and frustration. Clemens is going for broke in this ordeal. Either he will be completely destroyed and disgraced or vindicated and held up as a working class hero for overcoming the establishment and unjust accusations. Either way he will carry indelible scars. What else can he do though? Kent Ninomiya

TV Changing Forever - Kent Ninomiya

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:33:13 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - The two month old Writers Guild of America strike threatens to change every aspect of our media. That includes TV, movies, Internet, and much more. All indications are that both sides are digging in for a long fight. The union would not give exemptions for awards shows like Peoples Choice and Golden Globes. They promise to take a hard line on the Academy Awards next month as well. The studios aren't blinking. They have canceled dozens of writers' contracts suggesting they are willing to concede the fall line up. Ordinarily networks are ordering new shows this month but nothing is happening now. The Directors Guild of America just agreed to a tentative three year contract. The studios hope to hold that over the writers and force them to make concessions on the issue of revenue on digital entertainment. For now neither side is budging and it is laying waste to the industry.As stockpiled TV shows are drying up, favorite programs are going into annoying reruns or disappearing altogether. Reality shows are becoming more popular and successful. This is tragic for lovers of sitcoms and well written dramas. Nightline is enjoying a ratings resurgence at the expense of late night talk shows that disappeared for a while. Many viewers are turning off the TV for other forms of entertainment. Video game and DVD sales are up. The Internet is seeing a remarkable increase in activity. If this continues for months what will be left of television? That isn't clear, but whatever it is, it will be drastically different than it was before. When baseball went on strike in 1994 they lost a significant chunk of their fan base. It took MLB a decade to regain fan trust and flourish again. Likewise TV may see changes that take years to undo. It may also lose forever many of the programs and genres that were once adored. The way we entertain ourselves may never be the same again. Kent Ninomiya

Terminator is Back - Kent Ninomiya

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 23:37:34 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - I must confess that I was skeptical as I watched the premier of the Terminator, The Sarah Connor Chronicles over the past two nights. After all, most movie franchises turned television series are pretty lame. I must also confess that my skepticism was unwarranted. I was a fan of the Terminator movies and I am now a fan of this new TV show. The writers obviously spent a lot of time pounding out the time line and plot line. They must know that hard core fans will tear them apart if they are not true to the original story. The writers did a fine job. This series is at first set two years after the second movie in 1999. In an ingenious bit of writing it then fast forwards to 2008 thanks to a time machine that was made by another soldier from the future who was sent back in 1963 by the future John Connor. As a notorious skeptic of poorly conceived science fiction writing, I am difficult to convince. I bought this plot line completely. Granted they do take liberties with the characters. In a reversal of the original roles, the bad terminator is now the huge male robot while the good terminator is the hot girl. She acts more like a girl than a terminator so I will need a little more convincing there. The actors playing John and Sarah Connor are quite good and do their characters justice. The big test is whether the story will justify a continuing television series. I don't know how long this show will be able to maintain their momentum, but they are off to a fine start and I am eager to see the next episode. Kent Ninomiya

Suspension

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 00:04:56 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - A few words about the suspension of Kelly Tilghman. The Golf Channel anchor will leave partner Nick Faldo and the network for two weeks as punishment for her comment that golfers should "lynch" Tiger Woods "in a dark alley" if they want to catch up to him. It was a stupid thing to say but no one believes she meant it literally. Tiger Woods, through his agent, said it was a non issue. The Golf Channel treated it as if it was no big deal and kept Tilghman on the air for several days after the comment. It wasn't until the next week when there was a public outcry and Rev. Al Sharpton called for Tilghman's firing that the Golf Channel took action. Suddenly they condemned her words. They released a statement saying "there is simply no place on our network for offensive language like this." Hmmm... such outrage. Why did it take them so long to feel it? I see hypocrisy here. If there is no room on the Golf Channel for that language then Tilghman should have been yanked from the air immediately. If it was a non issue then she should not be suspended. If you are going to take a moral stand then you have to make up your mind. You can't have it both ways. The late suspension was a compromise to hopefully get angry African Americans off the Golf Network's back. Tilghman's suspension conveniently ends just in time for her to work the Buick Invitational on January 24. It will be Tiger Woods' 2008 debut. I guess the Golf Network's timing isn't completely off... not when it comes to scheduling their outrage. Kent Ninomiya

Ryan Seacrest - Kent Ninomiya

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 23:53:39 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Back in 2001 I did a rather silly dating feature story while working in Los Angeles. The producer arranged for me to follow a man and a woman on a blind date. I can't remember what the point of the story was. I can't remember who the lady was. I do remember the guy. He made quite an impression on me. It was a young deejay named Ryan Seacrest. I imagine he agreed to be set up on the blind date and do the story to get publicity for his blossoming career. At the time he had hosted a few television programs but was relatively unknown nationally. That would change soon. I remember being surprised by how soon. Seacrest got the American Idol gig a short time later. It exploded into an American phenomenon. There are a lot of player haters out there who make fun of Seacrest and his success. Say what you want but the guy is special and it was obvious to me before he was famous. He is charismatic, insightful and smooth as silk on live programs. Although it would be easy to assume he made a pact with the Devil to get his success, that would be unfair. Seacrest is no Brian Dinkleman. Do you remember him? Probably not. Dinkleman was Ryan's co-host on the first season of American Idol but was dumped for the second. There is good reason we never heard from him again and we can't escape Seacrest in the media. The reason has nothing to do with luck or the Devil. Kent Ninomiya

Who's Next? - Kent Ninomiya

Sat, 9 Feb 2008 20:53:41 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Let me get this straight. Roger Clemens' former trainer Brian McNamee now says he injected Debbie Clemens with HGH. Roger Clemens' wife is now an alleged doping fiend? The story from McNamee seems to get stranger and stranger by the day. As far as I can tell it's just his word against everyone else. Unless, of course, those bloody syringes he supposedly hung on to for 7 years turn out to prove something. What I find off about the story is that it is trickling out. It's as if it is being made up along the way. First it's a legendary pitcher being accused, then his wife. Who's next? His kids, his dog, his ham sandwich? The unfortunate part of all this is that Clemens may never get a chance to clear his name. Meanwhile he is being smeared weekly with fresh stories about his alleged drug use. It's time for McNamee to put up or shut up. Every day this drags on make it more of a travesty of justice. If Clemens is guilty prosecute. If he is innocent then clear his name. Trial by media benefits no one. The guilty have justice delayed. The innocent are unjustly tormented. The media loses its soul and credibility. Kent Ninomiya

Bush Legacy - Kent Ninomiya

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:58:39 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - President George W. Bush's final State of the Union speech seemed more about his legacy than the state of our union. He expended great effort to give his spin on the war in Iraq. Bush realizes that history will judge him by the outcome of the Iraq war. Convincing the masses that the cause was just, will determine whether Bush goes down in history as a great leader or a butcher. Bush even floated a Mid East peace agreement. Bill Clinton wanted that to be his legacy but failed. Bush hopes to one-up his predecessor. What the State of the Union speech was NOT... was politics. Bush did not overtly press a republican agenda that could help GOP candidates for president. None of the candidates want to be associated with Bush. The president is remarkably unpopular these days. It's quite a change from his nearly 90% approval rating he enjoyed just after 9-11. That's a similarity he shares with his father. George H.W. Bush was hugely popular following the first Gulf War only to leave office after one term when the economy went belly up. How will history judge "W?" That depends on how the Iraq war eventually wraps up. Kent Ninomiya

Super Week - Kent Ninomiya

Mon, 4 Feb 2008 10:33:04 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - It was as unlikely as the wife of a former president or a black first term senator becoming president of the United States. The New York Giants defeat the then undefeated New England Patriots by a mere 3 points in the closing minutes of Super Bowl XLII. This Super Bowl was indeed a "super" football game just as Super Tuesday promises to be a "super" political contest. History shows that both tend to disappoint. The Super Bowl is usually a blow out and Super Tuesday often is a coronation rather than a competition. However, 2008 is turning out to be a "super" year for head to head battles. That is very good news for the news business where conflict is king. It gives us plenty to talk about and analyze and get wrong. That's right... "wrong!" How many of the experts picked New York to win the Super Bowl? Not many gave them a prayer. Remember the New Hampshire primary? The experts said it would be the end of Hillary's campaign. I don't like the cliche "that's why they play the games," but it really is appropriate here. We can expand that to "that's why they hold the primaries." Kent Ninomiya

Politicalman - Kent Ninomiya

Thu, 7 Feb 2008 11:27:00 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Who would have ever guessed we would be where we are now? A few months ago all the political experts predicted Hillary Clinton had a lock on the Democratic nomination. No problem. Then they pronounced her campaign dead before the New Hampshire primary. Now she is in a virtual dead heat with Barack Obama. A few months ago John McCain was running out of money. All the political experts predicted he would drop out soon. Now he's the presumptive Republican nominee. Predicting politics is like predicting the weather. People who claim they can do it are usually wrong. Just like the weatherman, the "politicalman" can be wrong most of the time and isn't held accountable. The public expects them to be wrong, yet still listens to what he has to say. Funny how that is. I'm just glad that the race is interesting. Obama and Clinton could very well take their duel to the convention. Imagine the viewer interest in the Democratic convention if that happened. John McCain is a republican who arch republicans hate and many democrats like. Wont that make for an interesting general election. Kent Ninomiya

Clinton Coverage - Kent Ninomiya

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:21:31 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - If you look at the top three people getting media coverage in the presidential election for the week of January 21-27, you find it goes Obama, Clinton, Clinton. A Project for Excellence in Journalism study shows that Bill Clinton is third in news coverage behind Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Obama got a leading 41% of coverage, but when you add Hillary's 40% to Bill's 18% they dominate the coverage race. Is this media bias or are journalists nostalgic for good ole Bill? Regardless of the reason the discrepancy is helping Hillary Clinton's campaign. It's an established fact that the more face time a candidate gets the more votes they're likely to get. The Clintons are getting a 2-for-1 deal on air time. This media domination may play an especially pivotal role if Hillary gets the democratic nomination. The same poll shows republican candidates far down the coverage list. McCain is at 17%, Giuliani 14%, Romney 12%, Huckabee 6%. It seems the media finds the democratic Clinton duo more compelling than any republican. Let's see how the numbers shift after Super Tuesday. Kent Ninomiya

Stike Update - Kent Ninomiya

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:10:41 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Is the month old Writers Guild of America strike working? Anyone saying it hasn't had a significant impact on the industry is lying. It was sad watching Queen Latifah make a fool of herself with her fake canned enthusiasm during the People's Choice Awards "press conference" on Tuesday. The ratings were predictably sad. Only 6 million viewers tuned in compared to 11.3 million last year. We can expect more of the same at Sunday's Golden Globes "news conference." People tune in to these awards ceremonies to see the celebrities. They want to know what they're wearing and share the expressions of victory and defeat on their faces when the winners are announced. No press conference will replicate that. The Writers Guild promises more of the same for the Academy Awards in February. Even though producers of the Oscars promises a stage show as planned, no one believes that's possible without the stars in the seats. There is a lot of money at stake here. That's enough motivation for both sides to get things done. I predict this strike will be all wrapped up before the Academy Awards, though it may be an eleventh hour last minute agreement. Kent Ninomiya

Fun Election - Kent Ninomiya

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 14:03:10 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - So who is the Republican front runner now? Romney won the mostly uncontested Nevada caucus Saturday but McCain picked up the coveted South Carolina primary. Since 1980, every Republican who won South Carolina got the party nomination. However, Romney still leads in delegates. To complicate the situation even more, Rudy Giuliani is betting it all on the upcoming Florida primary, and Iowa caucus winner Mike Huckabee is hanging in there. So who's the front runner? That depends who you ask. It's a fun time to be a journalist or political junkie. It's any one's race in both parties and no one has any idea who will be the next president. Kent Ninomiya

Obama Gains Momentum - Kent Ninomiya

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 22:24:42 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - So how was your weekend? As good as it might have been, Barack Obama's was better. He swept all the primaries and caucuses this weekend, making an already tight race for the democratic nomination even tighter. Obama won the Maine caucus Sunday after taking Louisiana, Nebraska and Washington on Saturday. He now has all the momentum going into the Maryland, Virginia and D.C. primaries on February 12. Clinton did her best to brush it off and appear like a front runner. She didn't directly address her losses instead attacking Republican front runner John McCain. There is no question Hillary's campaign is in trouble, but don't count her out just yet. Remember when everyone did that in New Hampshire? The Clintons are survivors and Obama is running against two of them. It's looking more and more like this nomination may come down to a slug fest on the convention floor. The only thing certain here is that this is the most facinating presidential race of our lifetimes. Kent Ninomiya

Randy Salerno - Kent Ninomiya

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:45:57 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - The Chicago TV news family suffers a devastating loss with the tragic death of Randy Salerno in a snowmobile accident. I met Randy 15 years ago when we were both young reporters. He pounded the pavement for WGN while I hustled for WLS. We were both the "live"guys at night, so we ran into each other all the time. Randy was one of the good guys. While other reporters indulged in petty bickering and back stabbing, Randy was a stand up guy. If you got to a story late and had a question he would give you an honest answer. He made it easy to return the favor when he was in a pinch. Randy still worked hard to get a scoop but didn't try to screw you over like other reports would. He was a professional and a class act all the way. Besides that, he was hilarious and always made the job fun. Randy Salerno was a rarity in the TV news business. I will miss him. Kent Ninomiya

Campaign Gets Interesting - Kent Ninomiya

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:57:46 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Never mind those bickering Democrats. The Republican race for president is getting more interesting by the day. Mitt Romney wins the Michigan primary making him the third Republican winner in four early races. Romney also won Wyoming even though no one noticed. John McCain won New Hampshire and Mike Huckabee won Iowa. Romney suggests his Michigan victory is a mandate for him to lead the nation. The other candidates take issue with that. After all, Michigan is Romney's home state and he campaigned harder than anyone there. A loss there would have all but ended his run. The truth is there is no Republican front runner and they all know it. South Carolina should thin the field a bit if there's a clear winner. If there's not we could be in for a state by state dog fight through Super Tuesday. With a similar dynamic on the Democratic side this is a fun time to be a journalist. Clear front runners and slam dunk primaries are bad for business. Kent Ninomiya

T4 - Kent Ninomiya

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:15:05 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - The new Terminator Sarah Connor Chronicles TV series has sparked my interest in the upcoming Terminator 4 movie. It's tentatively titled "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins." It's expected in 2009. I'm not the only one interested. Internet searches are way up for everything Terminator. Information on the new film is limited and mostly rumor. The poster here is not official. It's from someone's imagination. This is what I was able to find on the internet: "After the drastic effects of Terminator 3, the story continues as John Connor and soon to be wife Kate Brewster begin the creation of a resistance organization with Earth's remaining survivors against the army of cyborgs slowly being built up by Skynet. As they are building this resistance, one survivor happens to be a traitor in disguise, and has a secret that nobody would ever come to suspect." I can't wait. Kent Ninomiya

Pent Up Creativity - Kent Ninomiya

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:35:34 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - The writers strike likely end is good news for Hollywood and fans. All that pent up creativity can now come flowing out of the writers. I expect nothing less than brilliant original material at every level. I may not get that but I expect it. The strike allowed studios and networds to prune the withering branches from their production tree. Thankfully lame shows like Bionic Woman and Cavemen will not return. They were doomed anyway because of their inept writing. Movie production is being pushed back. The new Star Trek film will open summer 2009 instead of Christmas. The move will probably make everyone involved a lot more money. Studios are now cherry picking dates and films without rushing projects to the screen. In the long run we could see a better product all around. Let's hope so. Kent Ninomiya